Jet Lag will impact the FIFA World Cup; Sleep Coaching is the solution

Beginning in November 2022, 32 teams from across the globe will travel to Qatar to compete in the FIFA World Cup. For most of these athletes, this is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and dreams of glory since childhood. But as the world’s biggest sporting event approaches, there is one obstacle that could stand in their way: jet lag.?

Jet lag occurs when our bodies are out of sync with the local time zone. This is because our natural body clock, or circadian rhythm, is regulated by the amount of light exposure we get during the day. In the general population, symptoms of jet lag include fatigue, insomnia, headaches, and irritability. While jet lag is common among all travellers crossing two or more time zones, it can be especially troublesome for athletes. That’s because jet lag can negatively impact physical and cognitive performance, stamina, and recovery time. For athletes who are competing at the highest level, even a small decline in performance can mean the difference between winning and losing.?

For the World Cup, the majority of teams will have to travel across two time zones, leaving them wired when they should be sleeping, and tired when they should be training in preparation for the start of the tournament. Some countries’ Performance Teams have already started considering how they can overcome these challenges to maximise their chances of success. With that understanding, it's not a stretch to conclude that jet lag could play a significant role in determining who wins and who goes home early come November 2022.?

So how might jet lag impact the outcome of the World Cup??

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4 Ways Jet Lag Impacts Performance?

While jet lag is commonly associated with fatigue and disorientation, it can also have more subtle effects on athletic performance. Studies have shown that jet lag can decrease reaction time, impair coordination, and reduce accuracy. All these factors can have a major impact on an athlete’s ability to compete at the highest level.?

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Fatigue?

First, jet lag can cause fatigue. This can lead to decreased energy levels and a general feeling of exhaustion. When athletes are tired, they are more likely to make mistakes. They may also have trouble thinking clearly and making optimal decisions on the pitch. Another factor is that fatigue pushes us away from innovation and creativity and back to ‘safe’ decisions, meaning that playmakers, wingers and fullbacks, often tasked with breaking down opposition defences through their creativity, will be stifled.?

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Recovery

Second, jet lag can impede recovery from physical activity. Arguably the most important time for recovery is when we are asleep in bed. Jet lag, and the subsequent disturbed sleep, is a major concern for athletes who will be preparing for up to 7 games over a few weeks in the middle of a stacked club season. Poor recovery means less physical intensity in defensive transitions and greater muscle fatigue in a tournament where many teams will play 120 minutes on more than one occasion.

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Learning and Execution?

Third, jet lag can impact a player’s ability to quickly learn new tactics and execute them effectively. Jet lag can cause problems with memory, focus, and concentration. This can make it difficult for athletes to effectively understand, memorise, and recall complex tactical players. Sleep is vital for establishing memories of new information and recalling old information, so without addressing jet lag certain countries could be hindering their tactical preparation for the World Cup.

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Physicality?

Finally, jet lag can impact the physicality of players, leading to decreased strength, power, and stamina. Although most players will have recovered from their jet lag by the time the tournament starts, countries travelling multiple time zones can expect jet lag to have a significant impact on their physicality in the first match of the tournament. In a tournament with only 3 group stage matches, losing that first match could be the difference between qualifying for the knockouts or heading home.

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Jet Lag Doesn’t Have to be Inevitable?

Most people consider jet lag to be a natural, and unavoidable, part of long-distance travel. And without sleep coaching, that will largely be the case for many of the countries competing in the World Cup. This is especially true for teams from North America, South America, and Asia, who will have trouble training and retaining information before kick-off on 21st November 2022.?

However, by no means is jet lag inevitable – even for these teams. Steps can be taken to mitigate the effects before heading out, while travelling, and after arriving. The best way for a country to limit the impact of jet lag on their World Cup performance is by working with a specialist sleep coach, who can provide personalised guidance based on individual sleep habits, travel schedules, and the specific needs of each person's body. The German national team has already hired a sleep coach for the World Cup, giving them a head start on other teams in the tournament.?

Sleep is a topic that is fascinating, which is why we all know a little bit about sleep science and like to talk about our sleep. However, at Sleep Athletic we know it can be hard to put into practice good sleep habits and navigate through the many 'sleep myths' we hear time and time again.

The difference that Sleep Athletic can offer over and above generic sleep guidance is that we provide insights that are evidence-backed, bespoke, and genuinely specialist. Our easy-to-understand guidance is specific to athletes, as well as a team’s unique needs, and is based on years of experience working in a specialist sleep clinic. We're trained in specialist behavioural and cognitive strategies which help us to make sense of and break through any inner barriers that are preventing athletes from getting their best sleep.

With bespoke sleep coaching from Sleep Athletic, athletes and staff can expect to:

• Arrive in Qatar already well-adapted to the local time based on bespoke and individualised schedules of sleep
• Boost their ability to sleep well on the long-haul flight and in their new hotel environments for the duration of the tournament
• Learn how they can utilise caffeine, melatonin and light exposure if they’re still struggling with jet lag
• Gain insights into their own sleep needs and if they are particularly vulnerable to the effects of jet lag, and receive 1:1 guidance on how they can improve their sleep
• Be supported in adapting back to their local time after leaving the World Cup, ready for the restart of their club campaign